After months of teasing and tweaking, Plex is finally unleashing its redesigned mobile app for Android and iOS. The rollout’s already underway, and the company says it’ll hit everyone’s devices within the next week. But that’s not all they’ve been up to. Alongside the shiny new app, Plex is shaking things up with a price hike for its Plex Pass and some new rules about streaming your stuff on the go.

Picture this: you open Plex on your phone, and instead of fumbling through a maze of menus, everything’s just… easier. That’s the vibe Plex is going for with this redesign. They’ve rebuilt the mobile app from the ground up to make your media life smoother and more fun. Here’s the rundown of what’s new:

• The old app could feel like a treasure hunt to find your stuff. Now, the layout’s streamlined so you can hop between your personal media, streaming options, and settings without breaking a sweat.
• There’s a new dedicated tab for your libraries—movies, TV shows, music, photos—all in one spot. No more digging to find that obscure album you ripped from a CD in 2005.
• A handy Watchlist button now lives in the top-right corner. One tap, and you’re managing what’s next on your binge list.
• Show and movie detail pages are looking snazzier with bigger, bolder artwork and profiles for cast and crew. It’s like your personal IMDb, but for your own collection.

Plex didn’t just slap a new coat of paint on this thing either. Since the preview phase, they’ve been listening to feedback and tweaking like mad. According to a post on the Plex forums, they’ve sped up load times and scrolling, added a sleep timer (perfect for dozing off to The Office reruns), and tossed in picture-in-picture (PiP) support so you can keep watching while texting your buddy about how great this app is.

And they’re not done yet. Plex has more tricks up its sleeve, like letting you download entire seasons in one go (goodbye, episode-by-episode slog), expanding casting options to more devices, and sprucing up the UI for ratings and reviews. Oh, and if you’re a TV app user, heads up—they’re already testing a revamp for that too. Big things are cooking.

The catch: Plex Pass costs more now

Alright, so the app’s a win, but here’s where things get a little spicy. Plex dropped another bombshell this month: they’re bumping up the price of Plex Pass, the subscription that unlocks premium features. Starting April 29, 2025, here’s what you’ll be paying:

• Monthly: $6.99 (up from $4.99)
• Annual: $69.99 (up from $39.99)
• Lifetime: $249.99 (up from $119.99—yep, that’s more than double)

If you’ve already snagged a Lifetime Plex Pass, you’re golden—no price changes for you. But for the rest of us, this is the first increase in over a decade, and it’s a hefty jump, especially for that Lifetime tier. Plex says it’s all about “rising costs” and needing more cash to keep the lights on while building cool new stuff.

Here’s the real kicker: starting April 29, 2025, streaming your media when you’re away from home is no longer free. Yep, that feature you’ve been using to watch your movie collection from a hotel room or your parents’ house? It’s going behind a paywall. You’ll need either a Plex Pass or a new subscription called the Remote Watch Pass to keep the party going outside your Wi-Fi zone.

• Plex Pass: At $6.99/month, this covers remote streaming for your own server, plus letting friends and family stream from it—locally or remotely.
• Remote Watch Pass: A cheaper option at $1.99/month or $19.99/year, this is for folks who don’t run their own server but want to stream remotely from someone else’s (like your tech-savvy cousin’s stash).

This shift’s got some users steamed. Remote streaming was a big perk of Plex’s free tier, and locking it behind a subscription feels like a bait-and-switch to longtime fans. Plex’s defense? They need the funds to “put forth the best personal media experience.” Still, it’s a tough pill to swallow if you’ve built your Plex life around that freedom.

Okay, it’s not all doom and gloom. Plex is tossing out the annoying $4.99 one-time mobile unlock fee that used to cap free playback at one minute on Android and iOS. Now, streaming on your local network is totally free—no time limits, no catches. (Remote streaming still needs that subscription, though.) If you already shelled out for the unlock, Plex is hooking you up with an extended trial of the Remote Watch Pass as a thank-you. Nice touch.